Pantos can go ahead this year, but the Health Minister says children shouldn't attend.
Stephen Donnelly says visiting Santa is allowed.
These comments have led to much confusion among the industry preparing to take to the stage in a matter of days.
Panto producer Alan Hughes says he's baffled by the latest update:
"It sounds like an absolute Panto, you couldn't ride it. You couldn't write it. You really couldn't. I walked into rehearsals this morning and thirty as crew, and dancers here and they all just looked at me and they went, well what's happening, and just said, I don't know, cause like what I heard this morning is like, I'm just baffled and the only word is baffled."
